Baby Time, 4/4/12 (@ another branch)

One of my colleagues at another branch is off this week, so I offered to cover for her. I did two back-to-back programs - one baby time for kids up to age 2, and one preschool story time for ages 3-5. The groups were very small, which is a change for me - and a welcome one! I had a wonderful time, and I think the kids did, too.

Here is what I did at "Baby Time." (The kids were actually mostly toddlers.)

Opening Song: Hello, how are you?

Rhyme: Dance Your Fingers

Rhyme: This is Big, Big, Big

Flannel Board Rhyme: Let's Make a Noise
This was the official debut of this rhyme - can't wait to use it with my babies at Baby Lap Time tomorrow! 

Book: Mommies Say Shhh! by Patricia Polacco (2007)
I love this book. It is unfortunate that it doesn't mention the dads, but the unique animal sounds (chee, chee, chee for a squirrel, and buff, buff, buff for a dog) are a welcome deviation from the usual farm animal books I read. I especially love the repeated phrase," Bunnies say nothing at all."


Rhyme with Puppets: Two Little Bunnies (based on Two Little Blackbirds)

Song: Head and Shoulders

Song: Tony Chestnut

Book: I'm a Baby, You're a Baby by Lisa Kopper (1994)
I hadn't done this one in a while, and was glad to bring it back out! The pictures are overloaded with human and animal cuteness! 

Flannel Board Song: Here Stands a Robin

Song: Where is Big Toe?

Book: Big Fat Hen by Keith Baker (1999)
Oh, Keith Baker. What would I do without his books? I'm getting ready to retire this one for a while, but was glad to have it as a security blanket in an unfamiliar situation. 


Rhyme: Five Eggs and Five Eggs

Song: If You're Happy and You Know It

Song: Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star

Song: You Are My Sunshine

Song: Chickadee

Goodbye Song: We Wave Goodbye Like This

This program was longer than what I would normally do at my own branch, but our standards do say we should provide 30-minute programs, so I didn't want to deviate from that if the audience expected a full half-hour. I lost most of the kids before the end, but only just before.  It's so much easier to hold  the attention of  ten toddlers than one hundred!